Molded plastic base pan for room air conditioner

ABSTRACT

A molded one-piece plastic base pan for an air conditioner having a raised segmental trough configured to accommodate a notched opening in the air outlet ring portion of a condenser fan shroud. The trough segment has a concave upper surface closing the air outlet ring and is located partially in the depressed sump region of the base pan and includes a plurality of arcuate skewed flow channels for distributing condensate drain water to the condenser fan air stream and a diverting ramp which merges in a substantially tangential juncture with the trough segment upper surface for recirculating condensate to the sump area.

Dnite States atent [191 [111 3,724,233

Eugh et al. 1 Apr. 3, 1973 54 MOLDED PLASTIC BASE PAN FOR 2,927,4423/1960 Koriker ..62/280 ROOM AIR CONDITIONER 2,939,297 6/1960 Karger..62/262 Inventors: Cecil C. Pugh, Dayton; Emerson L. Wark, Vandalia;Richard 0. Rumpf, Dayton, all of Ohio Primary ExaminerWilliam J. WyeAtt0rneyWilliam S. Pettegrew et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A molded one-piece plastic base pan for an air conditionerhaving a raised segmental trough configured to accommodate a notchedopening in the air outlet ring portion of a condenser fan shroud. Thetrough segment has a concave upper surface closing the air outlet ringand is located partially in the depressed sump region of the base panand includes a plurality of arcuate skewed flow channels fordistributing condensate drain water to the condenser fan air stream anda diverting ramp which merges in a substantially tangential juncturewith the trough segment upper surface for recirculating condensate tothe sump area.

7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3 SHEET 1 OF 2 MOLDED PLASTIC BASEPAN FOR ROOM AIR CONDITIONER This invention relates to a room airconditioner and is specifically concerned with the provision of anintegrally molded plastic base pan structure for such a room airconditioner.

It has been the practice to provide for a base pan for a room airconditioner unit fabricated of metal and including various structuralelements needed for rigidity and strength. This arrangement makes for abase pan which is not only subject to corrosion by the condensate drainwater but is costly and expensive to fabricate while adding to the totalweight of the unit.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved one-piecemolded plastic base pan for an air conditioning unit having an integraltrough segment which cooperates to close a notched opening in acondenser fan shroud to effectively dispose of the condensate waterwhile allowing the shroud to be readily removed from and replaced in thebase pan.

Another object of this invention is to provide a onepiece plastic basepan for an air conditioning unit formed with an integral trough segmenthaving a concave surface conforming with the flared notched opening of acondenser fan shroud completing a circular fan air outlet to provide animproved condensate water disposal arrangement which allows a portion ofthe condensate to flow down a sloped merging ramp directing a portion ofthe condensate to the base pan sump for pickup by the fan slinger ringwhile dividing the remaining condensate into a pair of skewed arcuatechannels on the trough segment such that a portion of the condensatetravels around the flared opening for partial dissipation into the airstream and the remaining portion is directed onto the fan blades.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to oneskilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description,reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an air conditioner having thecondensate disposal arrangement of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the base pan.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross section taken on line 33 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view partially in section of the base panand condenser shroud, looking in the direction of arrows 44.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross section taken on the lines 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross section taken on the lines 66 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 7 7 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross section taken on lines 88 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8a is an enlarged plan view of a retainer plate.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the base pan and con denser shroud.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the trough and shroud portionof FIG. 9. 2

Referring to the drawings, the air conditioning unit 10 is shown in FIG.1 with its outer casing removed and includes a base pan 12 supporting ablower housing 14 and a condenser fan housing 16. The room air sectioncontains a refrigerant evaporator 18 and a radial flow blower 19 whichpropels air from the room being cooled through a front inlet 20 and overthe evaporator 18. The outside section contains a condenser 22 for therefrigerating system of the unit and an axial flow fan 24 forpropellingair through this section and over the condenser 22.

The outside air section also houses a conventional motor compressor (notshown) which circulates refrigerant through the condenser 22 andevaporator 18 to extract heat from the air passing through the room airsection and to emit this heat to the outside air passing through theoutdoor section.

The blower I9 and fan 24 are driven by an electric motor 26, positionedwithin the outside air section, where shaft extensions 28 and 30 connectto and support, respectively, the blower l9 and fan 24. The motorhousing is supported by suitable bracket means 32 whose lower portion isremovably secured to the base 12 by means of bolts 34 (FIG. 8) extendingthrough base plate holes 35 and threadably inserted in holes 36 in anelongated mounting plate 37. Downwardly offset rectangular embossments44 are formed in the raised mounting ribs 40 and 42 such that eachembossment provides paired slits 39 which are aligned with a slotted endopening 38 to allow plates 37 to be inserted therein for support on itsassociated embossment 44. The base pan holes 35, end opening 38 andslits 39 are molded with a thin covering film of plastic approximately0.005 to 0.010 inch in thickness forming knock-outs in the base pan toaccommodate alternate size motor brackets while permitting the base panto. remain in watertight condition. I

The rectangular base pan I2 is formed from a single sheet of plasticmaterial which in the preferred form is thennal set plastic materialsuch as reinforced polyester sheet plastic having a thickness of about0.125 inch and manufactured by a suitable process such as thermoforming.The pan 12 has an upstanding continuous peripheral wall forming front52, rear 52' and side walls 52" and having a raised rectangular area 53defined by side partitions 54, 55 and end partitions 56, 57 within whichthe indoor heat exchanger 18 is mounted.

A condensate exit 58 is provided in partition 55 communicating withlongitudinal channel 60, defined by a pair of longitudinally extendingpartitions 62 and 64, with the channel sloped rearwardly through notch65 in housing 16 and joining depressed sump region having rectangularraised area 72 for location of the outdoor heat exchanger 22. Thetransversely extending sump region 70 is positioned intermediate theraised area 72 and shroud mounting grooves 74 and 76. Elevated plateauregion defines the compressor motor mounting area bounded by fourfigure-eight bosses 82, 83, 84 and 85 each of which has a pair ofsockets, represented by sockets 86, 87 of boss 82, which are normallyclosed by a molded knockout providing alternate inner and outer sets offour mounting holes 88a, 88b, 88c, 88d and 89a, 89b, 89c, 89d toaccommodate either a small or large compressor-motor respectively. Inthis manner only a slight blow with a suitable tool is required to causethe knock-out to become disengaged and create the proper mounting holearrangement while maintaining the base pan in watertight condition.

Raised rib areas 90 and 92 are formed with cooperating slots 94 and 96respectively, to receive standard U- shaped speed nuts 98 therein (FIG.8) to allow the base pan 12 to be readily secured by shipping bolts 100to the floor of a shipping crate. As seen in FIG. 2 the base pan 12 hasan integral raised trough segment generally indicated at 110 formed atthe forward boundary of the sump region 70 and straddling the raisedcondenser shroud mounting ridges 74, 76. FIG. 2 shows the trough segment110 having two transverse vertical front and rear walls 130 and 111, andtwo outwardly pitched end walls 1 12 and 1 14 which extend upwardly and.inwardly from the pan bottom wall 115 defining the trough segment 110.The trough segment has an upwardly facing concave depressed arcuatesurface 116 forming the segment of a cylinder which merges with thecondenser shroud cylindrical type or flared air outlet orifice 118 byvirtue of cut-out notched opening 120 of the shroud accommodating thetrough segment 110 which closes the notched opening. The shroud orifice118 has outer inclined flanges 122 and 124 having the same angle ofinclination as that of the inclined trough end walls 112, l 14 such thatthe exterior of the end walls 1 12, 1 14 of the trough segment are inintimate facial or surface contact with the interior surface of theshroud flanges 122 and 124. The shroud 16 is formed with horizontallydisposed flanges 126, 128 bearing on the recessed mounting grooveportions 74 and 76 of the base pan on which it is mounted. The concavedepressed segmental portion 116 and the notched opening 118 thus form acompleted circular flared fan air outlet 118.

As seen in FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, the trough segment 110 includes atransverse front wall 130 extending shieldingly across and in front ofthe concave trough surface portion 116 to provide a barrier to damcondensate water in the sump region and on the concave trough surface 116 and thereby prevent condensate from flowing forwardly past thecondenser shroud. The front wall 130 has its upper edge 131 slopedupwardly at an angle of approximately 395 to the horizontal allowingcondensate to pile-up in the channels 138 and 140 until it isdistributed to the air stream or it is recirculated to the sump area viadiverting ramp 136.

The trough surface is formed with a pair of rearwardly skewedconvolutions 132 and 134 commencing from the nadir portion of theconcave trough segment and extending upwardly and rearwardly subtendingan arc of the opening 1 18 indicated in FIG. 4 at A which in theembodiment is about 27. In this regard it will be observed that thenotched opening 120 and trough segment 110 both subtend a total arc B ofthe condenser shroud opening 118 of about 54 oriented in symmetricalfashion about vertical center line 135. The rearmost arcuate rib orconvolution 132 borders and defines the forward extent of a continuouscondensate flow ramp or surface 136 which merges in a substantiallytangential juncture with the concave trough surface 116 at its lowermostportion and extends downwardly with slight curvature toward the sumpregion and merges therewith.

In the present construction it will be appreciated that by having theshroud cylindrical duct orifice 118 notched at 120 the shroud is adaptedto be readily removed from and replaced on the base pan. It has beenfound that for a shroud orifice of approximately 14% inches in diameteran arcuate notch subtending an angle of approximately 54 affords aminimum shroud notched opening, measured on the chord between flanges122 and 124, of the order of 6% inches provides sufficient clearance forpassage of the motor housing 26 therethrough. Thus, to remove andreplace the condenser shroud wall, all that is necessary to do is removesuitable attachment means, such as threaded bolts 137 affixing theshroud side walls 139 to the condenser and the condenser shroud is thentilted slightly toward the motor 26 so that the notched opening 120 isaligned correctly with the motor 26 and the shroud 16 pulledstraight-off the base pan.

As best seen in FIG. 10, the convolutions 132, 134 define the pair of.parallel arcuate channels 138 and 140 in skewed relation to thetransverse plane of orientation of the shroud orifice 118 at an angle ofabout 15. The moisture which is condensed from the room air passing overthe evaporator 18 falls into the concave trough segment 110 and isdirected by the fan blades 24 in a counterclockwise circular path,indicated by arrow 137 in FIG. 4. The condensate that is driven intoforwardmost channel 140 is directed around the cylindrical orifice 118of the shroud wall (FIG. 3) such that a portion is picked up by thestream of air drawn through the orifice 1 18 and the remaining portionis redeposited in the trough segment 110. The condensate that collectsin skewed channel 138 is directed upwardly toward the trailing edge 144of the shroud orifice 118 causing it to fly-off the edge thereof tobepicked up either by the stream of air leaving the fan blades 24 or bybeing deposited on the fan blades. The condensate which completes thetravel around the shroud opening or is not directed into either channel138 or channel 140 flows down the ramp surface 136 into the sump region70.

As seen in FIG. 1 thefan 24 includes a conventional slinger ring 146attached to the individual fan blades by suitable means such asdisclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,94l,382, for example. The parallel dashedlines 150 in FIG. 2 indicate the projected path of the slinger ring 146intermediate the sump region 70 and segmental trough 110. Condensatewhich collects in the lowest portion of the sump 70 under the fan 24,which includes flow in channel 60 from area 53 and flow diverted downramp 136 from the trough segment 1 10, is continually picked up by theslinger ring 146 and thrown into the stream of air being blown outwardlythrough the condenser 22. The relatively high speed of rotation of thefan blades 24, however, imparts a rotating motion to the air streamflowing through the shroud orifice 1 18 causing the air stream to movethe condensate away from the sump portion under the fan region to lessencontact with the slinger ring. By means of applicants trough segmentchannels 138, 140 and diverting ramp 136 arrangement, however, thecondensate water flow is continuously split-up and distributed to thefan blades, cylindrical shroud orifice 118, and slinger ring 146 in arecirculated manner for efficient and complete disposal of thecondensate into the condenser air stream.

It will be noted that the cylindrical type orifice 118 of the shroudpresents a right cylindrical surface concentric with the fan blades 24which allows a portion of the condensate to travel or recirculatesubstantially 360 around the cylindrical orifice 118 and conformingtrough arcuate surface 1 16 for return to the sump 70 by means of flowramp 136. The cylindrical orifice 118 has a reverse flanged lip 160cylindrically shaped in cross section on its downstream or forward edge(FIG. 3) for preventing the condensate from escaping to the fan motorregion by flowing or dripping off the cylindrical orifice downstreamedge and thereby escaping into the fan motor region to cause corrosionand disposal problems.

It should be noted that front wall 52 is molded with a pair of doublewalled portions 162 and 164 as seen in FIG. 2 forming verticalpassageways indicated at 166 in FIG. 6. The passageways 166 serve asreceptacles for the end portions of a suitable handle means (not shown)preferably formed of flexible plastic material causing the handle meansto position itself flush with wall 52 except when being used to pull theair conditioner unit into the room on suitable guide rail mounting meansconventional in the art.

It will be appreciated that applicants air conditioning unit is designedfor use with impellers providing an axial air flow from the intake sidedefined between housing 14 and housing 16 and discharged rearwardlythrough the condenser 22 to theoutside air. The result is that becauseof the negative pressure and air turbulence on the intake sidecondensate normally tends to be drawn or sucked back through thecylindrical orifice 118 toward the motor 26. Thus applicants inventivearrangement described prevents the condensate from entering the motorarea and thereby prevents corrosion and other moisture damaging effectson the unit.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

We claim:

1. An integrally molded synthetic plastic base pan for an airconditioning unit comprising; a rectangular bottom wall having upwardlyextending peripheral front,

rear and side walls; means for supporting an evaporator on said base panadjacent to said front wall, means for supporting a condenser on saidbase pan adjacent to said rear wall, a depressed sump region extendingalong and adjacent to said condenser supporting means, fan motormounting means formed integrally in said base pan intermediate saidevaporator supporting means and said condenser supporting means, araised elongated trough segment molded integrally with said base pan ina transverse direction so as to be positioned in terrnediate said sumpregion and said fan motor mounting means, means disposed in said basepan and aligned at least initially in a transverse direction with saidtrough segment for receiving the bottom edge of a vertical shroud wall,the shroud wall having a notched cylindrical duct orifice therein forreceiving the impeller portion of an air circulating fan, a portion ofsaid trough segment having an upwardly facing concave depressed arcuatesurface forming a segment of a cylinder of a configuration to beaccommodated in the notched portion of the shroud wall orifice such thatsaid trough segment arcuate surface snugly closes the orifice, saidtrough segment having an integrally molded condensate flow ramp portionwhich merges in a substantially tangential juncture with said concavetrough surface at its lowermost portion and extends downwardly towardsaid sump region and merges therewith for removing condensate from saidtrough segment to said sump region.

2. An integrally molded synthetic plastic base pan for an airconditioning unit comprising; a rectangular bottom wall having upwardlyextending peripheral front, rear and side walls; means defining a raisedarea along and adjacent to said front end wall for supporting anevaporator on said base pan, means defining a raised area along andadjacent to said opposite rear wall for supporting a condenser on saidbase pan, a depressed sump region extending along and adjacent to theinner boundary of said condenser area, means defining an inclinedlongitudinal condensate water channel in said base pan positionedintermediate said pan side walls connecting said raised evaporator areaand said sump region to providea condensate water flow path to said sumpregion, upwardly extending fan motor mounting rib means formedintegrally in said base pan intermediate said evaporator area and saidcondenser area, a raised elongated trough segment molded integrally withsaid base pan in a transverse direction so as to be positionedintermediate said sump region and said fan motor mounting rib means,groove means disposed in said base pan and aligned at least initially ina transverse direction with said trough segment for receiving the bottomedge of a vertical shroud wall, the shroud wall having a notched centralcylindrical orifice therein for receiving the impeller portion of an aircirculating condenser fan, a portion of said trough segment having anupwardly facing concave depressed arcuate surface forming a segment of acylinder of a configuration to be accommodated in the notched portion ofthe shroud wall orifice such that said trough segment arcuate surfacesnugly closes the orifice, said raised trough segment including atransverse front wall extending shieldingly across and in front of saidconcave trough surface forming a dam for preventing the flow ofcondensate water from said trough segment forwardly to said fan motormounting rib means, said trough segment having an integrally moldedcondensate flow ramp portion which merges in a substantially tangentialjuncture with said concave trough surface at its lowermost portion andextends downwardly and rearwardly toward said sump region and mergestherewith for removing condensate from said trough segment to said sumpregion, and said trough segment arcuate surface having channel meansintegrally molded thereon so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly in thedirection of rotation of the condenser fan from the lowermost portion ofsaid arcuate surface so as to direct a portion of the condensate to therear edge of the cylindrical duct orifice to be removed therefrom by theair stream.

3. The base pan as defined in claim 1 wherein said trough segmentarcuate surface having channel means integrally molded thereon extendingupwardly and rearwardly from the lowermost portion of said arcuatesurface in the direction of rotation of said fan impeller whereby aportion of the condensate in said trough segment is directed toward therear edge of the cylindrical duct orifice as the condensate travelstherearound.

4. In an air conditioning unit for conditioning the air within anenclosure, the combination comprising a heat exchange apparatus mountedon a molded plastic base pan supporting at least a fan for circulating astream of outside air through said apparatus, a sump for collectingcondensate water from said apparatus molded in said base pan, said sumpbeing positioned beneath said fan wherein an annular slinger ringattached to the periphery of said fan dips into said condensate sump forslinging water therefrom, means disposed in said base pan for receivingthe bottom edge of a vertical shroud wall, said shroud wall including anotched cylindrical duct orifice partially enclosing a propeller fan fordirecting outside air through said orifice, a raised trough segmentmolded integrally with said base pan disposed beneath said fan, aportion of said trough segment having an upwardly facing concavedepressed arcuate surface forming a segment of cylinder of aconfiguration to be accommodated in the notched portion of said orificesuch that said trough segment arcuate surface snugly closes saidorifice, said trough segment having an integrally molded condensate flowramp portion which merges in a substantially tangential juncture withsaid trough segment arcuate surface at its lowermost portion and extendsdownwardly toward said sump region and merges therewith for removing aportion of the condensate on said trough segment to said sump region.

5. In an air conditioning unit for conditioning the air within anenclosure, the combination comprising a heat exchange apparatus mountedon a molded plastic base pan supporting at least a propeller fan forcirculating a stream of outside air through said apparatus; a sump forcollecting condensate water from said apparatus molded in said base pan,said sump being positioned beneath said fan wherein an annular slingerring attached to the periphery of said fan dips into said condensatesump for slinging water therefrom, means disposed in said base pan andaligned in a transverse direction beneath said fan for receiving thebottom edge of a vertical shroud wall, said shroud wall including anotched cylindrical duct orifice partially enclosing a propeller fan fordirecting outside air through said orifice, said cylindrical ductorifice including a reverse flanged lip on the forward edge thereof forpreventing condensate on said duct orifice from being blown forward bythe air stream recirculated by said fan, a raised trough segment moldedintegrally with said base pan disposed beneath said fan, a portion ofsaid trough segment having an upwardly facing concave depressed arcuatesurface forming a segment of cylinder of a configuration to beaccommodated in the notched portion of said orifice such that saidtrough segment arcuate surface snugly closes said orifice, said raisedtrough segment including a transverse front wall extending shieldinglyacross and in front of said concave trough arcuate surface forming a dampreventing the inward flow of condensate water, said trough segmenthaving an integrally molded condensate flow ramp portion which merges ina substantially tangential juncture with said trough segment arcuatesurface at its lowermost portion and extends downwardly toward said sumpregion and merges therewith for removing the condensate from said troughsegment to said sump region, said trough segment formed with a pair ofrearwardly skewed integrally molded ribs forming with said front wall apair of channels extending from the lowermost portion of said concavetrough arcuate surface upwardly and rearwardl in the direction ofrotation of said fan, said pair of c annels directing a portion of thecondensate from said trough segment into said duct orifice such thatsaid air stream flowing into said fan causes condensate to either travelaround said cylindrical duct orifice and be recirculated to said sump orto be carried from the rear downstream edge of said orifice into the fanair stream.

6 The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 4 wherein said troughsegment arcuate surface having channel means integrally molded thereonand extending upwardly and rearwardly in the direction of rotation ofsaid fan from the lowermost portion of said arcuate surface therebydirecting a portion of the condensate to the downstream rear edge ofsaid cylindrical -duct orifice and carried into the fan air stream asthe condensate travels therearound under the influence of said fan airstream.

7. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 4 wherein the notchedportion of said orifice is oriented in symmetrical fashion about thevertical center line of said orifice such that said notched portion isof an extent to allow said fan motor to pass therethrough whereby saidshroud wall may be readily lifted straightoff said base pan.

1. An integrally molded synthetic plastic base pan for an airconditioning unit comprising; a rectangular bottom wall having upwardlyextending peripheral front, rear and side walls; means for supporting anevaporator on said base pan adjacent to said front wall, means forsupporting a condenser on said base pan adjacent to said rear wall, adepressed sump region extending along and adjacent to said condensersupporting means, fan motor mounting means formed integrally in saidbase pan intermediate said evaporator supporting means and saidcondenser supporting means, a raised elongated trough segment moldedintegrally with said base pan in a transverse direction so as to bepositioned intermediate said sump region and said fan motor mountingmeans, means disposed in said base pan and aligned at least initially ina transverse direction with said trough segment for receiving the bottomedge of a vertical shroud wall, the shroud wall having a notchedcylindrical duct orifice therein for receiving the impeller portion ofan air circulating fan, a portion of said trough segment having anupwardly facing concave depressed arcuate surface forming a segment of acylinder of a configuration to be accommodated in the notched portion ofthe shroud wall orifice such that said trough segment arcuate surfacesnugly closes the orifice, said trough segment having an integrallymolded condensate flow ramp portion which merges in a substantiallytangential juncture with said concave trough surface at its lowermostportion and extends downwardly toward said sump region and mergestherewith for removing condensate from said trough segment to said sumpregion.
 2. An integrally molded synthetic plastic base pan for an airconditioning unit comprising; a rectangular bottom wall having upwardlyextending peripheral front, rear and side walls; means defining a raisedarea along and adjacent to said front end wall for supporting anevaporator on said base pan, means defining a raised area along andadjacent to said opposite rear wall for supporting a condenser on saidbase pan, a depressed sump region extending along and adjacent to theinner boundary of said condenser area, means defining an inclinedlongitudinal condensate water channel in said base pan positionedintermediate said pan side walls connecting said raised evaporator areaand said sump region to provide a condensate water flow path to saidsump region, upwardly extending fan motor mounting rib means formedintegrally in said base pan intermediate said evaporator area and saidcondenser area, a raised elongated trough segment molded integrally withsaid base pan in a transverse direction so as to be positionedintermediate said sump region and said fan motor mounting rib means,groove means disposed in said base pan and aligned at least initially ina transverse direction with said trough segment for receiving the bottomedge of a vertical shroud wall, the shroud wall having a notched centralcylindrical orifice therein for receiving the impeller portion of an aircirculating condenser fan, a portion of said trough segment having anupwardly facing concave depressed arcuate surface forming a segment of acylinder of a configuration to be accommodated in the notched portion ofthe shroud wall orifice such that said trough segment arcuate surfacesnugly closes the orifice, said raised trough segment including atransverse front wall extending shieldingly across and in front of saidconcave trough surface forming a dam for preventing the flow ofcondensate water from said trough segment forwardly to said fan motormounting rib means, Said trough segment having an integrally moldedcondensate flow ramp portion which merges in a substantially tangentialjuncture with said concave trough surface at its lowermost portion andextends downwardly and rearwardly toward said sump region and mergestherewith for removing condensate from said trough segment to said sumpregion, and said trough segment arcuate surface having channel meansintegrally molded thereon so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly in thedirection of rotation of the condenser fan from the lowermost portion ofsaid arcuate surface so as to direct a portion of the condensate to therear edge of the cylindrical duct orifice to be removed therefrom by theair stream.
 3. The base pan as defined in claim 1 wherein said troughsegment arcuate surface having channel means integrally molded thereonextending upwardly and rearwardly from the lowermost portion of saidarcuate surface in the direction of rotation of said fan impellerwhereby a portion of the condensate in said trough segment is directedtoward the rear edge of the cylindrical duct orifice as the condensatetravels therearound.
 4. In an air conditioning unit for conditioning theair within an enclosure, the combination comprising a heat exchangeapparatus mounted on a molded plastic base pan supporting at least a fanfor circulating a stream of outside air through said apparatus, a sumpfor collecting condensate water from said apparatus molded in said basepan, said sump being positioned beneath said fan wherein an annularslinger ring attached to the periphery of said fan dips into saidcondensate sump for slinging water therefrom, means disposed in saidbase pan for receiving the bottom edge of a vertical shroud wall, saidshroud wall including a notched cylindrical duct orifice partiallyenclosing a propeller fan for directing outside air through saidorifice, a raised trough segment molded integrally with said base pandisposed beneath said fan, a portion of said trough segment having anupwardly facing concave depressed arcuate surface forming a segment ofcylinder of a configuration to be accommodated in the notched portion ofsaid orifice such that said trough segment arcuate surface snugly closessaid orifice, said trough segment having an integrally molded condensateflow ramp portion which merges in a substantially tangential juncturewith said trough segment arcuate surface at its lowermost portion andextends downwardly toward said sump region and merges therewith forremoving a portion of the condensate on said trough segment to said sumpregion.
 5. In an air conditioning unit for conditioning the air withinan enclosure, the combination comprising a heat exchange apparatusmounted on a molded plastic base pan supporting at least a propeller fanfor circulating a stream of outside air through said apparatus; a sumpfor collecting condensate water from said apparatus molded in said basepan, said sump being positioned beneath said fan wherein an annularslinger ring attached to the periphery of said fan dips into saidcondensate sump for slinging water therefrom, means disposed in saidbase pan and aligned in a transverse direction beneath said fan forreceiving the bottom edge of a vertical shroud wall, said shroud wallincluding a notched cylindrical duct orifice partially enclosing apropeller fan for directing outside air through said orifice, saidcylindrical duct orifice including a reverse flanged lip on the forwardedge thereof for preventing condensate on said duct orifice from beingblown forward by the air stream recirculated by said fan, a raisedtrough segment molded integrally with said base pan disposed beneathsaid fan, a portion of said trough segment having an upwardly facingconcave depressed arcuate surface forming a segment of cylinder of aconfiguration to be accommodated in the notched portion of said orificesuch that said trough segment arcuate surface snugly closes saidorifice, said raised trough segment including a transverse front wAllextending shieldingly across and in front of said concave trough arcuatesurface forming a dam preventing the inward flow of condensate water,said trough segment having an integrally molded condensate flow rampportion which merges in a substantially tangential juncture with saidtrough segment arcuate surface at its lowermost portion and extendsdownwardly toward said sump region and merges therewith for removing thecondensate from said trough segment to said sump region, said troughsegment formed with a pair of rearwardly skewed integrally molded ribsforming with said front wall a pair of channels extending from thelowermost portion of said concave trough arcuate surface upwardly andrearwardly in the direction of rotation of said fan, said pair ofchannels directing a portion of the condensate from said trough segmentinto said duct orifice such that said air stream flowing into said fancauses condensate to either travel around said cylindrical duct orificeand be recirculated to said sump or to be carried from the reardownstream edge of said orifice into the fan air stream.
 6. The airconditioning unit as defined in claim 4 wherein said trough segmentarcuate surface having channel means integrally molded thereon andextending upwardly and rearwardly in the direction of rotation of saidfan from the lowermost portion of said arcuate surface thereby directinga portion of the condensate to the downstream rear edge of saidcylindrical duct orifice and carried into the fan air stream as thecondensate travels therearound under the influence of said fan airstream.
 7. The air conditioning unit as defined in claim 4 wherein thenotched portion of said orifice is oriented in symmetrical fashion aboutthe vertical center line of said orifice such that said notched portionis of an extent to allow said fan motor to pass therethrough wherebysaid shroud wall may be readily lifted straight-off said base pan.